After helping earn the highest accolade of Superior “1” ratings for Kirksville High’s large group concert and chamber choirs, 32 of the individual voices that make up the whole will be gunning for personal glory this week at the Missouri State High School Activities Association state contest in Columbia.

Those 32 students also received Superior “1” ratings on their individual or ensemble performances and on Friday will be giving it their all as they represent themselves, their school and set the tone for underclassman to follow at the state contest.

“It really feels like all our hard work has paid off,” said senior Caitlin Pennington, to nods of agreement from the other about 10 seniors in the group during a rehearsal last week.

“It’s very exciting,” said senior Bryan Morton of competing in Columbia. “It’s great to be able to participate and it’s something I really love doing, at its highest level of competition.”

The more than 30 participants at the state level set a three-year high and is the most KHS Choir Director Rebecca Murphy has taken to state in her time with the choir.

That payoff came to the large group, as well, with the Concert Choir performing “O Filii et Filiae” arranged by Quaid/Leininger and “Sure on this Shining Night” by Z. Randall Stroope.

The Chamber Choir performed “Neighbors’ Chorus” by Jacques Offenbach and “Soneto de la Noche” by Morten Lauridsen.

The theme of pieces in both English and other foreign language continued with the individual and ensemble pieces, with all soloists and groups striving to showcase their range and abilities.

“We want to make sure the students are skilled at singing and performing different styles of music,” Murphy said. “It shows flexibility.”

For the group of seniors, the competition is the culmination of up to seven years of practicing and singing and with less than a week to go before competition, it’s all about the minor details.

“It just feels so great when we get it right,” said senior Grant McFarland, who performs in a double quartet. “After working on it, when we get it down, it’s awesome.”

With Kirksville and the rest of the large group choir members looking on, the group of state competitors and the seniors in particular said the support and success the choir has received in the past several years both fuels their drive and raises the bar for the younger aspiring singers.

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“It’s really exciting to see a lot of kids in choir,” said senior Abby Lang. “It’s neat to see their skills form and to have a choir with a lot of guys.”

Lang was referring to the balance between male and female voices in the choir, a rarity in music and especially at Kirksville.

“It is very balanced,” she said. “And that makes it unique.”

Murphy said the outstanding male voices and role models at Kirksville have helped elevate the program and set an example for years to come.

“I think Kirksville has gotten a reputation for having a very strong male interest in choir and we’re taking advantage of that,” she said. “We’re doing music that maybe we wouldn’t have been able to before but making sure it’s moving and moving quickly so no one is getting bored.”

Battling fatigue and boredom is a regular challenge for the choir, especially since it meets during the day’s last period, but once the lights hit and it’s performance time, the feeling of collaboration and friendly bonds can make for a charged experience.

“It’s been so great,” said senior Michael Doman. “I’ve been part of the program for six or seven years, made friends and in choir you have that camaraderie that makes our performance exciting.”